Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Cake
The Best Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot Cake recipe you'll ever make! Moist, perfectly spiced, not-too-sweet, and with just the right amount of texture, this super easy carrot cake is made in one bowl! A classic allergy-free dessert recipe that's nut-free and tied all together with a homemade delicious and tangy dairy-free cream cheese frosting!
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 to 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 3/4 to 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar Sweetener (or preferred dark or light brown sugar)
- 1/2 Cup Neutral Oil
- 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 Flax Egg (1 TB Milled Flax Seed + 3 TB Water)
- 1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Grated Carrots
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (optional, more for topping)
- 1/4 Cup Crushed Pineapple (optional)
- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Raisins (optional)
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting:*
- 8 oz Plain Vegan Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1 Stick Vegan Butter (softened)
- 4 Cups Powdered Erythritol (or preferred powdered sweetener)
- 1 Tsp Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
- Lemon juice (as needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
- Add in and mix together the applesauce, prepared flax egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and oil until smooth.
- Last, add in the grated carrots, coconut, pineapple, and raisins. Gently mix the batter together, folding in the large add-ins (careful not to over mix) until a thick batter is formed.
- Line two 6-inch round cake pans* with two strips of parchment paper each for easy cake removal.
- Carefully pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans (about 2 cups per pan).
- Bake the cake layers in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until just golden brown.
- Remove the baked cake layers from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in the pans before using the parchment paper to gently lift the cake layers out and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, prepare your choice of vegan cream cheese frosting following these instructions or vegan vanilla buttercream frosting following these instructions.
- Frost and decorate your cake as desired. Store in the fridge for about 7 days in a closed container.
Notes
- Storage: Store your cake in the fridge in a cake carrier or large container, for about 7 days. Leftover cake can be enjoyed cold from the fridge or bright to room temperature first if you prefer.
- Make-Ahead: You can make your cake layers ahead of time, which is ideal anyway since you need the cake to be cool before frosting! Bake the cake layers and allow them to cool on a wire rack before covering them overnight. You can even make the frosting ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Make the full cake within 1-2 days or prep. Bring the frosting to room temperature before frosting the cake layers.
- Freezing: You can freeze the baked and cooled unfrosted cake layers, tightly wrapped, for up to 4 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. You can freeze a finished frosted cake, by freezing it until solid on a flat tray first. Then transfer the frozen cake into a large storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the cake overnight in the fridge before bringing it to room temperature.
- Cake Sizes: You can make this a three-layer cake by dividing the batter into three 6-inch cake pans. You can use the 4 cups of cake batter in an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan. An 8-inch square pan will also work. You can make this cake in an 8x11-inch baking dish as well or an 8x4-inch loaf pan. This recipe will also make 12-18 cupcakes. Baking time may vary.
- Frosting: Ingredients listed are for the classic cream cheese frosting. You can also use vanilla buttercream or opt for a storebought variety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
Keywords: carrot cake, vegan carrot cake, gluten-free carrot cake, easy carrot cake, small batch carrot cake, layer carrot cake
Find it online: https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-vegan-carrot-cake/